This project was a continuation of a previous study in speed perception that evaluated the role of the type of road and road width, roadside development, travel speed, driving experience and the sex of the driver on estimates of safety and travel speed (Fildes, Fletcher & Corrigan, 1987). In the first experiment, the effect of night driving and time of testing on a driver's perception of speed on straight rural roads was assessed using the previous methodology. A validation study was performed to test whether the laboratory assessment technique was suitable for assessing speed perception at rural curves. A multi-factorial experiment followed that assessed the role of the previous road, environment, and driver variables (as well as curve radius and curve direction) on driver's estimates of safety and travel speed on flat rural curves. The last experiment was a preliminar study to see whether the speed perception methodology was also suited to testing perceptions of following distance in rural areas. The final chapter reviewed the literature on road treatments that would be suitable for use as speed perception countermeasures. A number of treatment were identified and a programme of research necessary to evaluate their effectiveness and potential road safety costs and benefits was outlined.
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